Automatic end point recorder



Sept. 6, 1932. J. F. M. TAYLOR I 1,376,364

AUTOMATIC END POINT RECORDER Filed Oct. 50, 1928 Dehydrafor 2 INVENTOR JACK FRANCIS MAHoN TAYLOR BY Hrs ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES PAT NT JAoK FRANCIS ivr HoN TAYLOR, F WILMINGTON, CALIFORNIA, 'AssIGNon :IQ SHELL 7 DEVELOPMENT coMrANY,- or DELAWARE AUToiviATIc END PQIN'I nnoonnnn- Application filed October 30, 1928. Seria1 No. 316,089.

This invention relates to the automatic determination of boiling point temperatures, and especially tothe determination of the boiling point of the least volatile component of a mixture'of fluids; A.

It is the object of my invention'to provide an instrument which automatically at certain regular intervals, to be fixed as desired, will determine such boiling'point,1 and make a 170 record of such determinations, orif desired,

control the purity of the fluids or mixture of fluids tested according to the results iob tained by such determination.

More particularly my invention, provides for the petroleum refining industry an instrument which automatically at fixed intervalswill determine the final boiling point of mixtures of hydrocarbon vapors or'liquids, and record the results of suchdeterminations,or control automatically certain conditions under which the'mixture'tested is produced;

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following de-f' scription in which I have set forth the preferred form of my invention. It is to be un-' derstood that the appended claims are to be accorded the scope and range of equivalents consistent with the state of the prior art.

Petroleum oils, as is well known, consist of a mixture of different hydrocarbons, whose boiling points often are very close together,-

so that due to the efiect of partial vapor pressures it is difficult to separate the diiferent products or fractions, each containing a number of different hydrocarbons, from each other by distillation, as a small, ,part of the hydrocarbons whose boiling points are high er than the temperature of distillation, usually distill over with the lighter hydrocarbons, while a small part of the lighter material remainsin the heavier residue. It is very important that this overlapping of the fractions be avoided as much as possible, and

' that as p'ure products as possible are ob tained, with as short a'range o-f'boiling points v I air vent for the measuring tube 3 Siphon as possible. The market value ofthe products is seriously aifected by the presence therein of hydrocarbons, lighter. or heavier are changed,

of heating or condensing or otherwise under which the different fractions art'produced,

so as to-obtain a closer fractionation. j

In order to facilitate this control of'the boiling pointrange of the'difierent products,

I have invented the instrument which is described hereunder, and which will 'automati cally determine the final boiling point of any product at certain intervals, for instance every'ten or twenty minutes, as desired. This determination may be automatically I regis tered in well known nianner,or it can be combined with automatic control of condiof any of a number of well known devices, 'or both recording and control can be combined. a An apparatus designed for carrying this invention into effect is illustrated more or .less diagrammatically in-the accompanying tions, which is tapped from a main line.

This apparatus consists mainly of: cooler 1, dehydrator 2, measuring tube 3, andfdis tilling unit 4. 7 Tube 10,provid ed with needle tions in the distillation apparatus, by means sAN FRANcrsco, cALIronN A; A oonronATIo 0F valve 11, is a A inch tube which. taps the main line, not shown, and connects with the cooler 1. This cooler consists of coil 12 immersed in water bath 13. Pipe 14; connects the cooler with the dehydrator 2, in' which near the top 21, a gauze, filter22 is provided.

"A central draw-off line 23 leads to the Incas uring tube 3'; 24 is a drain, 25a by-p'ass to drain, and 26 a regulating valve? 31 is an ward to the level 33 in the measuring tube.

Distilling unit l consists of metalflask 41 and electric heater 42, together enclosed in the protective gauze screen 43. In the neck of flask 41 a thermocouple 44 is arranged, connected by Wires 45. A vapor-line 46 leads 5 to a condenser and drain, not shown.

In, pperatingmy apparatus the hot. liquid gasoline isdrawn- H from the -m'ain line through tube 10, the amount of feed being regulated byneedle valve, 11. The gasoline ,1, is .cobledincobler 1, and impurities are removed by'filter 22; any Water settles out' in the bottom of dehydrat0n2, and is. removed through drain 24 together with any excess gasoline. The dry clean gasolin e isdravruofi through 23 to the measuring tube 3, in Which :itaccumn'lates until level; 33 is reached. The phQII hDwGOn16S into actiomand the coniitents of measuring- ;tube? 3 it are-removed to dgistillingziflask 41,-:and ,there distilled. by

.ixmfians of heater 42', the vapors.- being removed :ztbrough Eline? 46. Thermocouple AF'ITQEICtS D ;the, temperatures inthe flask and maybe connected: 130 aurecording' device as: a. Leeds :';&'-N I- :hru1itemperature recorderyoryto any ndesined devices for :automatic controliofzz the ,-.eondi tions .Ofheating; condensing'etc: in ;the

plant. The amount of feed and the-heating a are'regulatedqin-such- .Way that the distillaxitionofi tjhe ehargeiof the -=flask will be termia, emailed a ilittle before thee-gasoline accumulat- Eringaini the measuring tube reaches level 33, '0'3"i}h&t2:lil1e:eflfiSk will bei-e1nptyrwhen :the *"fliPhQIl comes inter. action ;-=W;hile one fcharge his being; distilled, ithea-next .one 1 isaccumum jalatingzin :tbermeasuring tube, {thus forming a dliquidasealonithee apparatus and preventing iithesblowingpi-back of raporsiirom :the :flask. :zTihe timeiintervalibetweenrthe determination 0016513116" Zendrpoint zor;;fina1 boiling; point :of

l wuthetifrectiontestedis:preferablyregulated by :nhanges: "iDQ hGEtimG GQ i Qd;t0 ffill. the measuuringitube 511111130- level 33 ofithepredetermined szzvolume 0f-1ftl16 charge. "It": could 'be regu- .late'd .HllSOi by '1 changing; the volume of? the i 4 charge, .:as hfor i instance -lby adjusting the height of thesiPhon bend, or 'ObllQIWlSG, but it has been foun'd: that this --is :ina'dvi-sable, as only-bycareful manipulation and -con- "s-tantrate'of gheating canthe end point obrained by the-device ofmy invention be:made zto conform .to thatrobta-ine'd by the usual lab- ,oratory method. "I prefertherefore to regulate the. timeiinterval Iby adjustment of the ttimeofiffil'ling the measuring tube up till .33,

,means of regulating. valver26.

,iBy comparisonewith laboratory tests it has be. .11 found: that: this apparatus zWOIIkS very -aecurately ;;1the.variation is usually not more 1:. thanioneidegreel :Tihechartofthe recordrzingfidevice shows:clearly; the; gradual-rise in ntemperature idu ring :the; distillation for a @ztew: aninrrtes the end point will .be registered, aaifiterwwhioh 'the-cooling of" the: thermocouple beeause of lack-ofva-pors is recorded fiollowed by a sudden drop in temperatures When the new charge is siphoned in the flask.

It has been found that a metal flask, preferably a copper flask can be used instead of the glass flask specified for laboratory tests. An

-rindefinite-number of tests canbe runwithout --coke o1--gum being formed "in theflask to such extent as to affect the end point. If the .Inixtule tov betestedisnot liquid, but consists of vapors, cooler 1 Will be operated as condenser, so that only liquid Will -flow through pipe 14 to dehydrator 2. Variables Which atfect'the apparatus have been found to be atmospheric. conditions and variation in the voltage of the electric heater, both of which -.can be-easily'overcome by those skilled :in' the art. xThei V21}3.0FS.;IEPOI1lflJl16 distillation may, if desired, be returned to .the main line.

hile I1ha-ve illustrated one'iiormof apparatus suitable to carry-out .-my invention, so'ther designs imay be found; adapted to ob- ;itain the resultsof myiinvention, and I donot intend to ilimitmyself to the particular form ofappar-atus shown.

Jtaivi-ll be understood. that: this -orsimilar I --;appa-ratus ,eani'rbe. :used not only in: the, pentroleum- (industry, but in. all cases Where the final boiling pointbf aanixture of vapors "or rliquids is of. importance arrangements can .be provided without difficulty ,to. have condensation and distillation 'take place under pressure or vacuum,. according to thexnature of .the material tested, Without departing i fromr-the principle. of :my invention.

invention is also adapted to determine? the punityofaa certain material:as regards :'.the presence-of.a heavier substance; a change .eiin thefinalboiling point will immediately indicate .the presence of such 'less' volatile impurity. *Forinstancein the .productiono'f ,ether. thepresence.ofalcohols can bedetected .lIlT this. Way.

I .-claim. asv my invention .1... In .a device of :the character described, .measuringhmans and .a distilli11gunit,: the .meastwingmeans being elevatedso as tobave hydrostatic head .over. the distilling unit, the measuringmeansbeing so arranged .as to .forma liquid seal preventing theback flow .of vapors from .,-the. distillin g:unit, and a: siphon tube connecting the measuring .means 4:and..,distilling unit automatically dischargthe contents of the measuring'means .into the distilling .unit' at regulated periodic in- .tervals.

2. .I-n-Ha device .of. the character. described, aa eneasuringmeansand a distilling unit, a valve-controlling the rate of flow ofliquid pinto the measuring means, the measuring ;-;meansbeing elevated sosas to have a hydrostatic' head over. the distilling unit, the meas- -.uring;means-beingsoarranged as to form a iliquid-seal'preventing the backhloW of vapors froin'cthe. distillingunityandn asiphon tube ."connecting thezmeasuring meansaand the dis tilling unit automatically discharging the contents of the measuring means into the distilling unit at periodic intervals regulated by said valve.

3. In a device of the character described the combination of the interconnected system i comprising, a cooler, a dehydrator, a measuring chamber and a distillingunit, the measurl ing chamber being so arranged as to form a liquid seal preventing the back flow of. vapors from the distilling unit, and the measuring chamber being elevated above, and having a siphonic connection with the distilling unit adapted to automatically discharge the contents of the measuring chamber into the dis- 7 tilling unit at periodic-intervals.

4:- In a device of the character described the combination of the interconnected system comprising, a cooler, a dehydrator, a measuring chamber and a distilling unit, a valve between the dehydrator and measuring chamber regulating the rate of flow of liquid thereto, the measuring chamber being so arranged as to form a liquid seal preventing the back flow of vapors from the distilling unit, the measuring chamber being elevated above, and having a siphonic connection with the distilling unit adapted to automatically discharge the contents of the measuring chamber into the distilling unit at periodic intervals regulated by said valve.

5. In a device of the character described the combination of the interconnected system comprising, a cooler, a dehydrator, a measuring chamber and a distilling unit, a valve between the dehydrator and measuring chamber regulating-the rate of flow of liquid thereto, the measuring chamber being so arranged as to form a liquid seal preventing the back flow of vapors from the distilling unit, the measuring chamber being elevated above, and having a siphonic connection with the distilling unit adapted to automatically discharge the contents of the measuring chamber into the distilling unit at periodic intervals regulated by said valve, and means for indicating the temperature in the vapor space of the distilling unit.

6. In a distillation system, a distillation apparatus, means for continuously withdrawin g a small sample of distillate from the distillation apparatus, a small distillation flask, means for introducing said sample into the distillationflask,means for heating said flask and vaporizing said sample, means for regulating a condition of operation of the distillation apparatus, means eiiected by the final boiling point of the sample of distillate to automatically control the said regulating means to obtain a substantially constant final boiling point distillate from the distillation apparatus. a

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. 5 JACK FRANCIS MAI-ION TAYLOR. 

